North Gwinnett LB Jake Godfree on upcoming game vs. ‘best of the best’ Grayson
Today’s Four Questions interviewee is Georgia Power 100 and AJC all-state linebacker Jake Godfree of North Gwinnett. Godfree’s team will play Grayson on Wednesday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic. Godfree is a 3-star prospect committed to NC State. His father, Eric, is North Gwinnett’s coach.
North Gwinnett and Grayson have not played since 2017, and they are the winningest teams in Gwinnett County since then. What’s exciting about this game, and what’s the Grayson scouting report?
“The most exciting thing for me is playing against the best of the best. It’s two really great teams that have tradition and history playing against each other as the second high school football game in the country. For myself and the team, I’d say we’re all excited to showcase how much work we’ve been putting in during the offseason — from the weight room, speed, agility, explosiveness, understanding the game of football. We’re all so excited to see that work unfold throughout the season and this first game. For the scouting report, without giving to much detail, Grayson is very athletic and talented. They have a strong run game behind a big offensive line. We also have to limit explosive plays, especially from their slot receiver, along with containing their quarterback. Offensively, Grayson’s defense is fast, which will limit big plays for us, so we must control the ball and get the tough first downs.”
The North Gwinnett-Grayson game is the second game in Wednesday’s Corky Kell doubleheader at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Lanier vs. South Gwinnett is the opener. Those will be the first high school games played this season in the contiguous United States. Hawaii started its season Friday.
What’s it like playing for your father? What’s the best football advice he’s given you? Do you have advice for fathers who coach their kids?
“I love it, it’s definitely special for the both of us, and we enjoy it a lot. He’s on the offensive side of the ball, too, so I get to talk a little trash to him sometimes, which is fun. Me and him both truly love the game of football, so being around him and learning from his knowledge of the game is a big benefit for me, too. He truly is my best friend, and we’ve created a lot of great memories that will last a lifetime.
“For his style of coaching I’d say he’s a very relational type of coach, truly loves all his players and wants to see them succeed. He talks about wanting to add value into people’s life, and that’s exactly what he does. He’s not only a coach but someone that people love. He not only inspires me as his son, but I know he inspires my teammates and brothers around me, too. Not only does he push us to be great football players but also to be great men off the field.
“For advice for fathers who coach their kids, I would say soak in all the good and bad moments and don’t take them for granted. For kids I would say listen to your Coach/Dad. Sometimes it’s honestly hard because you see him as your dad who’s yelling at you about football, but you have to understand that he’s your coach on the field and he’s here to make you better and push you.
“Some advice that I would give for the dads, that I heard from my own dad that I thought was really good, is when you go home don’t constantly just talk about football or whatever sport it is to the point where every conversation seems like it’s just about sports. Have genuine conversations that are outside of football. You don’t want your son to just think that y’all’s relationship is strictly based on the sport you play. Now good thing me and my dad both love football a lot, so I don’t mind at all talking about football everyday. It’s just about making sure that your love and relationship with your son isn’t based on sports and making that known and having that understanding.”
Who is another player at any level that you admire or like or even pattern your game after? And why that particular person?
“I’d say there’s a couple of guys, but if i had to pick one it would be linebacker Drake Thomas, who played at NC State and has been starting for the Seahawks for the past few years now. When I first came to NC State (on a recruiting visit), the coaching staff talked about how much me and Drake play similar when it comes to football, instinctual. I love the way he plays the game — fast, smart, physical and instinctual. I got to meet him in March when I was at NC State for a visit, which was really amazing and meant a lot to me. Later on in May, Drake Thomas sent me a long text talking about how he loves the way I play and sees a lot of himself in me and how great NC State is and how great the linebacker legacy is. He was already my favorite player but that made it even better. Truly did mean a lot to me that he reached out.”
You’ve described middle school as a turning point for you as a football player. What can you tell us about that?
“I was always a kid that was driven to be the best at everything I did. The spring of my seventh grade year, I wanted to make a name for myself. I started walking up to the park, bringing my ladder, cones and hurdles. I started working out with the high schoolers in the mornings and working out after school, too. My mindset was to be the best, and still is. I want to be great in everything I do. Ever since then I haven’t looked back, and just stayed working hard for my goals in life. It’s such a blessing to be where I am at right now in this spot in my life, but it’s even better knowing what I did to get in this position. It gives me confidence and more passion because I worked my butt of to get here, and that’s not going to stop. That’s the start of my journey and is always a good reminder for me to keep grinding. The times that feel like I want to slack off are the times I remind myself of what I did to get here in this position and that I need to keep working like I have nothing. The moment you let up is the moment someone else is waiting for. Now my focus is to work as hard as possible, but to bring my teammates with me, too, and uplift them.”